May 17, 2016

World-first Scanning Helium Microscope Opens New Scientific World

AFTER 20 YEARS of painstaking
development in Australia and the UK, scientists have finally created a prototype
of a new kind of microscope – the only one in the world that will enable the
study of organic samples in their unchanged state.

The research was published
in the journal Nature earlier
this year, with the first-ever high-resolution photos from the microscope
released this week – showing a butterfly wing, spider's fang and the eye of a
honey bee like they've never been seen before.

They might not look like much to
the untrained eye, but to scientists this new way of seeing the microscopic
world could be game-changing.

The new technology uses helium to
image samples instead of traditional technologies that use light or electrons.
This makes all the difference.

"Delicate structures such as
biological samples suffer degradation under existing microscopes, which means
the very act of observation destroys or changes the properties of the samples we
are trying to study – it's quite a paradox," said Professor Paul Dastoor, who
led the team of Australian scientists from the University of Newcastle that
developed the microscope prototype at the University of Cambridge in the
UK.

The use of helium – which is
chemically, electrically and magnetically inert – in the new microscope enables
the study of many surfaces for the first time, explained Paul.

Previously,
delicate samples were either damaged by existing microscope technology, or to
prevent this they had to be coated with a protective film such as gold – either
way, the sample was unable to be viewed in its "true, unmasked
state".

According to the researchers, the
potential applications of this new technology are wide and varied, from medicine
to sustainability, solar cell technology and even defence.

"We are extremely surprised at
all the extra information that is available via this technology," said
Paul.

For example, the ability to study
parasites, bacteria and cell cultures in their original state could have
significant implications in medicine and the pharmaceuticals
industry.

"We've already been able to
clearly see the actual structure of a membrane because the helium microscope
gives detail not previously available," said Paul.

"A traditional microscope
sees straight through the membrane. We've been able to look at the actual
structure. The medical and pharmaceutical applications are very
exciting."